family fun

This is the first year we’ve entered the ‘XRACE‘ and really enjoyed the experience. My hubby teamed up with our youngest, 8 year old Alice, whilst I teamed up with our 12 year old, Sophie. All we knew about the race was that we’d be covering nearly 4km of ground with 10 challenges to complete […]

Ava from Micro Scooters has handpicked four of the best places in the capital to get scooting! From the serene beauty of the Botanic Gardens to the tranquil waterfront, these are kid-friendly scooting zones the whole family can enjoy. With the long summer holidays now upon us I love getting out with my three daughters […]

Strictly speaking, we simply did the riding – not the driving – but I can assure you – it was WILD (erm, thanks – *I think* – to Jeremy, our guide). I didn’t really comprehend the adrenalin rush that the Huka Falls Jet Boat would give me, until I tried to stand up straight – […]

After eight sleeps away on business, the man of the house is back! He was away in the UK and flew the long haul to LA, and on to Auckland, before the ‘hop’ down to Taupo to meet up with us on Sunday. Taupo Airport is a gorgeous place to hang out, especially in the […]

Everyone is well in the family again and all the girls have been back at school for a good week and a half. It was brilliant to get some sunshine this weekend to really keep those feel good vibes swinging! We headed out to Worser Bay to take our puppy for an off lead gallop on […]

Halloween last year was as it should be – in the northern hemisphere, in autumn (albeit living in Santa Barbara, California, wasn’t quite the northern hemisphere type of Halloween I remembered from my apple bobbing youth growing up in England, UK). It was lovely to be living somewhere where pumpkins were plentiful (as we experienced […]

We’ve enjoyed some wonderful moments at the beach in Santa Barbara this week. I often head out for a run when hubby gets home from work, finishing up on the beach, where he then meets me with our daughters. Our youngest two are joining in with a children’s sand race at Ventura Beach soon, as […]

Some family weekends are golden and this was one of them, the highlight being a delicious meal at a local restaurant (Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro, Montecito) with all three daughters behaving charmingly. It was an impromptu meal out (often preferred to a scheduled, overly anticipated evening) and the love around the table was brimming over […]

Having the man of the house home at the weekend gives us family time to get out and really explore this place – and we certainly had an action packed weekend of it! Whilst the rest of us were barely awake he headed off for an early morning paddle board, returning back mid-morning for a […]

Driving up the West Coast of California, north from Santa Barbara, we made a pit stop at a place in the country called Avila Valley Barn for a ‘Fall’ experience Californian style. The youngest of our family was the most enthralled. She tore into her roasted sweetcorn with the appetite of a cowgirl that had […]

I feel like, if I’d worn a pedometer, my mileage walking around the house this week would definitely equate to at least one marathon! With all three children at home – and none of them really showing any great desire to get out of the house – it’s been surprisingly ‘full-on’ for me. They’ve all […]

Obviously food, clean water and shelter (which I’m extremely grateful for every day) are the essentials that I can’t live without – and my heart frequently aches for the millions of people around the world that are struggling to survive without the basics. But, beyond those essentials, is LOVE. The love of my family is […]

We welcomed home our man of the house on Saturday, after he’d been away in Melbourne on a business trip for a few nights. Charlotte & Sophie made beautiful banners to welcome him… We had fun at Seatoun School Fair on Sunday – and Alice was SO happy to get a ride on ‘the rocket’ […]

Welcome to the ramblings & photographs of a British expat Mum living mostly in Wellington (aka *coffee capital of the world*), New Zealand, since 1997.

This blog is a way to preserve sanity whilst raising children, capture the magic in the chaos, and share tales with family, friends, fellow parents and expats.

Along with my British born husband we have been bringing up our three Kiwi born daughters in the land of sheep, kiwi fruit and fine wine, since 2003 (with a brief 16 months living in Santa Barbara, California - where we home educated our daughters). We both first landed on New Zealand soil in 1996 (hubby) and 1997 (myself) - as fresh graduates from the UK wanting to live and work overseas... our 'OE' turned into something a lot longer and more life changing than we could ever have first anticipated!

Thank you for stopping by (if you would like to know more visit the 'About' page!).